Frontload text

Frontloading is where you put the most important information at the beginning of content.

This helps the user to skim read, quickly understand the content and decide if it's relevant to them.

This is supported by WCAG, which recommends frontloading content to 'decrease the amount of sifting readers perform to find important information'.

All content can be frontloaded, including:

• page titles
• page summaries
• headings
• paragraphs

Page summary example:

• Not frontloaded: 'If you're visiting Bristol, this page covers car, coach, motorcycling parking and park and ride car parks.'
• Frontloaded: 'Car, coach and motorcycle parking, and park and ride car parks in Bristol.'

Heading example:

• Not frontloaded: 'Information about how to pay your council tax'
• Frontloaded: 'Pay your council tax'

Page titles

It's also important to front load page titles to differentiate them from other pages with similar titles.

For example, instead of:

• Apply for an exemption if you're a doctor
• Apply for an exemption if you're a patient
• Apply for an exemption if you're a carer
• Apply for an exemption if you're a family member

Use:

• Doctor: apply for an exemption
• Patient: apply for an exemption
• Carer: apply for an exemption
• Family member: apply for an exemption